Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-29
A REAL GYPSY QUEEN.
She Tells Fortunes In n Secluded Spot
ON IoneY Island.

Few of the thousands who daily
| journey to Coney island are aware Of
the fact that the popular seaside resort
contains within its seagirt limits real,
| live queen. Yet, such is the fact.
| Cynth Gray, whose tent stands in a
secluded corner OF the West end. just
opposite the Clarendon hotel, is the
queen of part of the human race
whose origin has puzzled the learned
of all nations; queen of people who
are spread over every land, and of
subjects who own no allegiance. Yet
cruel fate has ordained that Cynthia
was to. make living by revealing the
future. and, as there are plenty of peo-
pie in this world who believe in palm
istry, her income is greater than that
of many of her sister queens in exile.
The travels of queen are usually
accompanied by the firing of cannon
and the beating of drums; and people
turn out by thousands to stare at and
welcome the august potentate. Poor
Cynthia, however, was welcomed to
Coney island by the hoarse cries of the
tintype capper and the jeers of the
hoodlums. Yet the best Romany blood
in England flows in her veins, and in
her husband Sydney's. He is tall.
olive-hued gypsy, aud talks English
like an Oxford undergraduate. The
Grays were born in Norfolk, where
their ancestors lived in tents for gen.
erations. Lord Sutlicld, whose seat is
in that county, was attracted to the
little gypsy boy while on visit to the
camp, and had him educated in q
Hcrtfordshire college. But the no.
madic instincts which young Sydney
had imbibed with his mothers milk
were too much for him, and he return
ed to the bosom of the wanderers.
Sydney's ancestors, as he himself ac-
knowledges, were horse-stealers, while
he is horse dealer. The wagon in
which the family travel in England is
furnished Ike a Pullman palace car,
and cost 23OD you can give me the
finest house on Fifth avenue" said Mr..
Gray to the reporter, land | wouldn' t
live in it. This is no atfeCtation but
Gods truth. My greatest sorrow is
that my youngest child was born in q
house. We were unable to get south
) last winter. otherwise she would have
been born in tent" The child refer
red to is pretty blonde baby-girl, 3
months old, and was born in Brooklyn.
Her ha.r, strange to say, will become
as black as a ravens wing.
The gypsy queens greatest feat il
palmistry was accomplished seven
! years ago on the race-course at Chelms'
ford, Essex. England, when she fore
told Fred Archers death. The grea
engl sh jockey, who was riding hi:
brother Charles horse at that course.
walked over to the gypsy camp anc
: asked Cynthia to read his hand. The
: queen glanced at his palm, immediatel.
: dropped his hand, and said: "A suddel
: death by your own hand, young gentle
II man." Poor Archer laughed consum
Il edly at this, and said: II would give ;
triflc to come across that swarthy dam
y again"
10 Cynthia's sister, the Princess Kion
. is the most beautiful gypsy girl i
> England. George r. Sims the drama
Ii fist, made her the central figure in hi
" gypsy drama. "The Romany Rye
y and Sands. the royal acadcmioian
Y painted her portrait. For two years
III drew all London to the National acad
- envy.
Heron.Allen. the young Englishma
. who came over to this country to to-
!" Americans about palmjstry. visited tn
u y, Grays in New York and had his han
u read by Cynthia. He said it was an a
~ tonishing thing. and thought the gyps
i queen the equal of Descarrolles. In EnG
'r' land the GrAys, whose gypsy cognt
men is Pa'engro, were visited by ii
D" prince Of Wales, Lord Lurgan, Il
Z. marquis of Harrington, and other En-!
~ glish noblemen.
I'll There are only fifteen families havir
genuine Romany blood in their veins
he England. Not one of the old Roman
can read or write. The language
." handed down from generation to gene
," alton by sound. Their customs al
similar to those Of the natives Of Indi
x When Mr.. Gray's grandfather died h
CO grandmother burned his wearing a
IL. parcl. wagon, horse, and everythir
u" that belonged TO him. The gypsies a
III people supposed by some to be d
scendnats of Israel. But Mr.. CIR
." SAYS that there are not more than thir
on Hebrew words in their languag
oe Some of the words are OF Coptic a
'a' others of Persian derivation. The
wanderers of mankind are of Hndo
III stance or Suder origin. A real gyp
-" has n countenance, eye, mouth, a
"' quickness of manner strongly indie
600 tive of Suder origin. This is most n
III ticeable in the females. But
strongest evidence is the great resel
ny blance their own language bears
r'' the Hindoostanee. Ten out of thr
S'' words of the gypsy language are eth
,f0 pure Hindoostanee or nearly related
''' it,
, ,h, Coney island, on account of its pro
.''' unity to the race-tracks, is a 60
'no place for paImists. Jockeys and hor
" owners are the best customers Of TO
nv une-tellers.
No two human hands, Mrs. CT
-. says, are alike.
a 1t is long after nightfall before
cav wanderers retire to rest. They sleep
"'' comfortably and as calmly 10 their CT
!, vas tent. close to the Atlantic's BILE
'"0 shore, and with the stars Us their OF
canopy, as the millionaire does in
%, brown.stone palace. Brooklyn Ctis
ee' The richest silver mine in the world
POtosi